2013-14 Division I Women’s Basketball Player of the Week – No. 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brianna Thomas of Rio Grande (Ohio) has been named the NAIA National Division I Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Thomas was selected based on her performance from Jan. 6-12 and was chosen out of a pool of conference and independent award winners.

Thomas, a native of Maplewood, N.J., recorded the first known triple-double in Rio Grande program history in the Red Storm’s 112-108 overtime victory over Shawnee State (Ohio) on Jan. 11. The junior guard recorded a team-high 29 points and 11 assists, while adding 10 rebounds in the contest. The 29-point performance is the eighth 20-point game for Thomas this season; she is averaging 19.82 points per game on the year. Her 11 assists and 10 rebounds were both season highs. The triple-double is the sixth in NAIA Division I competition this year. The win is just the fifth for the Red Storm in 47 all-time meetings with Shawnee State.

On the season, Thomas ranks among the top 10 nationally in total steals (1st, 70), total scoring (3rd, 337 points), steals per game (3rd, 4.12), total assists (5th, 94), assists per game (8th, 5.53) and points per game (19.82). She also leads the Red Storm in each of these categories.